HE MAKES ME SETTLE
1/28/25 HE MAKES ME SETTLE
This week I heard Him say, He MAKES me lie down in green pastures. When I heard that, His emphasis was definitely on the word MAKES. When I got up for the day I looked that word up to double check it is there because other translations say it differently. YES that word is in the original.
Psalm 23:2 NKJV He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters.
Here is the Heb word, which means to CAUSE to lay down.
MAKES
Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary
רָבַץ rabats (râbats)
Search for H7257 in KJVSL; in KJV; load in ESI.
רָבַץ râbats, raw-bats’
a primitive root; to crouch (on all four legs folded, like a recumbent animal); by implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed:—crouch (down), fall down, make a fold, lay, (cause to, make to) lie (down), make to rest, sit.
When I read that immediately I remembered my time with baby kitty this week. Even though it has been in the 20 ish degrees at night, our days have had lovely sun. So I went outside in my warm kitty poncho and sat on the bench in the sun. Sure enough she jumped up and climbed in my lap.
However she has a hard time settling. It is like she is love starved and doesn’t want me to stop petting her, but she wiggles everywhere, up and down, circling, etc. But if I stop and just let her figure out what she wants, she immediately stops moving and comes back for my hand. Often when I remove my hand, she grabs my sleeve and pulls it back. Yesterday I put it under my poncho and she kept digging to find it! She just would not settle. So finally I scooped her close to me and pushed my hand down on her bottom and strongly said SETTLE. She stopped immediately and came into position and let down and relaxed. I literally had to MAKE her lie down.
It was a wonderful memory to connect with that passage in Psalm 23. How precious He is to us in our battles.
Psalm 23:1-3 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
This morning when I woke up, the smokey grey cat was laying in kitties cubby hole and baby kitty was nowhere to be found. Daily she is waiting for me as soon as I turn on the kitchen and dining lights but not today.
The last 3 days her food is being eaten by other cats and she is extra hungry with meows when I come out to her. So I am trying to only feed her now when I see her at the door. Today she smelled her bed and food and realized another cat had been there so she took a couple bites, jumped down and settled on the cold deck at 20 degrees. I put my poncho inside her cubby and sprinkled some catnip food in her bowl. She got up for the catnip but left again. Later when I came, another cat – the black and white cat was eating her food so I took her bowl inside and will bring it out again when I see Baby Kitty. I am praying she will not have her resting place stolen!
WORD TO PONDER: HAVING GONE THROUGH THE STORM I WILL SETTLE YOU 1/06/22
Yes dear heart you just went through a storm. I am so proud of you for hanging onto My Word and persevering through it. I heard every cry of your heart and all your prayers. Am I not the God Who delivers and brings you through safely?
Alas you feel like your members are scattered in parts and pieces, but I promise to recollect you and reassemble you all together once again. Whatever is displaced shall be collected. Whatever has caused you stress and shaken your core will be settled and resolved. I will use the lessons from this season as a part of your foundations to ground and settle deep into your faith. Come now dear one, settle in to your resting place in Me. Let the noise of the world grow dim as I feed you from the goodness of My heart and hand. No good thing will I withhold from those who walk uprightly.
1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, restore, establish, strengthen, settle you.
Ps 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
PRAYER: Lord when we are bombarded by tormentors it is hard to settle. A sheep will not lie down if it is being tormented by pests. Grant us Your Shalom as we seek Your face, Your touch. Let us be enclosed by Your Presence, drawn in close to You and let us finally settle in Jesus name.
